In Loki's Possession
by N.M.River
Summary: Instead of being locked up in Asgard at the end of the Avengers, Odin banishes Loki to Midgard to learn humility. As if that would ever happen...
1. Chapter 1

In Loki's Possession

Chapter One

"Hi, sit wherever you want," I smiled as I turned around, and then the smile froze on my face when I saw who just walked in.

One was easily recognizable as Thor, the big blonde thunder god that was with the Avengers, and the other was definitely Loki, the god that had tried to take over New York. Something had happened, he had a change of heart or something half way through, and Thor had gotten him off with a light punishment. But what the heck were they doing in New Orleans, at a greasy 24 hour mom and pop diner at 3am?

"Thank you!" Thor smiled and waved.

Oh boy. Breathe, Sarah, just breathe. I picked up two silver wear bundles and went over to them, smiling.

"Hi, I'm Sarah. What can I get you to drink?"

"Alcohol!" Thor exclaimed, "You do have that, right?" He peered at the menu.

"Yes, we do. Bud, Bud light, Coors light, or Blue Moon."

"I'm not very familiar with American beers," he smiled, "Which would you suggest?"

"Bud is very popular."

"That one, then!"

"You got it. And for you, sir?"

"Water," Loki said coolly.

"Of course. I'll be right back."

"Is that who I think it is?" the cook, Quintain asked.

"Um, yeah, I think so," I said.

This was so surreal. I got their drinks and asked if they needed a few minutes to look over the menu as I set them down.

"We have really good burgers," I suggested.

But Thor wanted scrambled eggs, bacon, grits, and a biscuit, while Loki wanted a veggie and mushroom Swiss omelet, with hash browns and toast. I put their order in and got Thor another beer.

"So what brings you guys in tonight?" I asked.

There was no one else in the diner at that time, so I felt free to talk to them.

"Vacation!" Thor beamed.

"Vacation?" I repeated, bemused.

"He means banishment from Asgard, at least for me," Loki said acidly.

"Oh. Uh, well, I'm sorry about that."

For the first time, Loki looked at me full on.

"Are you?"

"Yeah. It must be terrible to be unable to go home."

"Not as much as you might think," Loki said, staring at me now.

"Ah. Well, how long are you in New Orleans for?"

Thor went to say something, but Loki interrupted him swiftly.

"Indefinitely."

Some people came in, and I excused myself to go wait on them. Four of them were clearly drunk, the fifth one was sober, as he apologized for his loud friends and explained he was the designated driver. I smiled and said everything was fine and asked for their drink orders. It took a couple trips, but I got it for them, and Thor dragged his chair over to talk with them. Another group came in, and I went to wait on them next.

Once I'd gotten their drinks to them, food for Thor and Loki came out. Thor wanted his with his new friends, and I quietly put Loki's in front of him, thinking it wasn't very nice to leave him sitting all alone. However, there wasn't much time for me to talk to him, because people kept coming in. People were taking pictures with Thor, I was struggling to keep up with everything going on so suddenly, and on top of that, one of the drunk guys kept flirting with me, insisting on getting my number. I laughed and joked he was supposed to write his number on the check, tried to smile and be nice and breeze over his insisting, but this guy would just not stop.

"Unfortunately for you, she is mine," a cold voice said suddenly.

I nearly jumped a foot in the air when Loki put his hand on my waist and drew me to his side.

"Really?" the drunk guy asked, disbelief all over him.

"Indeed."

The next thing I knew, Loki was kissing me. Not sweetly or tenderly, this was full of passion. My head spun in shock for a second, then my knees went weak and I clung to him as I kissed him back. He held me up with one hand and squeezed my ass with his other, and I could hear wolf whistling from the drunks and Thor's delighted, "Good for you, brother!"

I felt heat on my cheeks as we parted, and I ducked my head, embarrassed.

"I'll take the check now, love," he said to me.

"Um, sure. Just one second."

I ran off and he was back at his table on the other side of the restaurant by the time I got it to him.

"Thank you for helping me," I said, my voice lowered, "Though grabbing my ass was a little much..."

To my surprise, he grinned and said, "Don't pretend you didn't enjoy it."

I shook my head, stunned by his brazenness. If he wasn't right, if he were any other man, and not a customer, I'd slap him. Besides, whether or not I enjoyed it was completely beside the point... wasn't it? It wasn't as if I'd ever see him again, or he would make me his girlfriend or whatever. Pity though, because I was, unfortunately, very attracted to him.

_Focus,_ I scolded myself, _You have other tables._

Loki paid the tab and dragged Thor out, and I forced myself to pay attention to my job. Once the rush was over and I had a chance to deal with changing my tips from small bills to larger ones, I found out Loki left me an extremely generous tip. My jaw dropped at the amount. WTF? Was this real? No way. It had to be an illusion, right? But it was solid. Maybe it would disappear over time. Yeah. I'd go to count my tips the next day and it would be gone.

But the next day when I went to put my money in the bank, it was still there. Sweet. Unbelievable though. Damn, Loki. From the bank, I went to class. Why did my math professor have to sound so much like Professor Binns from Harry Potter? Maybe it was just the subject? Because my theater professor seemed very similar to Master Elodin from the King Killer Chronicles, and It. Was. Epic. Where has this man been my whole life?

But it seemed that Mary had been around forever. My best friend ambushed me when I was coming out of the building, pulling up in her car right in front of me. The driver's window was rolled down, and her freckled face smiled at me.

"Get in nerd, we're going drinking!" she yelled.

I couldn't help it. I laughed.

"You don't even go here!" I shouted back, grinning like a lunatic.

She laughed then too, because it was true, she didn't attend the same college as me. What was she doing here? Taking me bar hoping so early? I had to change if we were doing all that. Apparently she agreed my outfit was not fabulous enough to be bar worthy either, because she brought me home first. I changed into a red long sleeve turtleneck sweater dress that came up high on the sides of my thighs, and barely covered my behind and front. With that I paired high heel over the knee black boots. I wore no jewelry, and for makeup used the lightest shade of foundation I could find, left blush off, and outlined my hazel eyes with black eyeliner and mascara, finally finishing off with a berry red long wear lipstick. My long chestnut hair was put up into a high ponytail, and I spritzed a bit of Dior's Hypnotic Poison on.

The overall effect, I decided, was stunning. I was feeling the seductress tonight, even though I wasn't planning on seducing anyone. I felt confident and sexy as hell, and that's what mattered. Mary was done up too, but her outfit was no where near as scandalous as mine. She wasn't looking for anyone either and was usually dressed far more modestly than me. She also didn't drink, which meant I was free to get as sloshed as I wanted and she could drive me safely home.

When we first got to the bar, as it was still early, the music wasn't as loud, and it was less populated, we got drinks (a margarita for me and a coke for Mary) and sat at a table to catch up each other up on our lives. I went through two drinks and was feeling drunk already, because I'm a lightweight. The club was filling up, and the music was louder.

"Want to dance?" Mary asked.

"I'm not nearly sloshed enough for that," I laughed.

So we got another round, and commandeered a pool table. We were halfway in and I was beating her thoroughly, because I took shots at the balls when she wasn't looking. Yeah, I was totally cheating, and did not feel bad at all about it, because I'm a Slytherin. And she should expect no less really, being my bestie and a Hufflepuff. I was bending over the table to take a legal shot at one of the solid balls when she came nearer to me and spoke quietly in my ear.

"That guy behind you is totally checking you out."

"Of course."

"For real, he has been for some time too. I can tell because he's looking at you the way I look at cake."

Smirking, I looked over my shoulder and locked eyes with Loki. He was all the way across the room, but I could feel the heat of his gaze none the less.

Shit.

The smirk froze on my face and I quickly turned around, took my shot, and spectacularly, hit a ball squarely into a pocket. I straightened up and hissed at Mary.

"Do you know who that is?!"

"Um, a horny guy? Not bad looking, but I prefer the hunky guy next to him."

Did she live under a rock or something?

"The dark brooding one that looks like he wants to eat me is Loki, the dummy with the bright hair is Thor."

"Oooh, really?" she perked up, "Well hey, looks like you're on the menu tonight, Mr. Tall, Dark, and Handsome is coming this way!"

My eyes widened so fast I'm impressed they didn't pop. No! No, no, no! Why was my friend walking away?! Why was she going to serve me up like a juicy steak to a hungry lion?! Or rather, a slice of moist cake to a stalky Loki. Shit, shit, shit, shit, shit. I turned around, and he was right there, a few inches away. My throat was suddenly dry.

"Oh. Hello."

"Good evening," he nodded gravely, taking one hand and kissing the back of it.

_Okay, that's smooth, I gotta admit,_ I thought.

"I was not expecting to meet you here tonight, but I must admit, I am pleased," he commented.

"My friend made me," I explained, "I'm more of a stay home and read person."

"My brother made me," he said, "I also prefer quiet and a good book."

I smiled nervously and replied, "You don't strike me as the kind of man that can be made to do what they don't wish."

"How perceptive of you. Yes, that is so. I am Loki, and I do what I want."

"I see. Well, what good books have you read recently?"

"I doubt you will have heard of them."

"That's fine. I doubt you'll have heard of my favorites."

Loki lifted one brow in surprise, and I took another sip of my drink. Score. Or goal. Basket? Eh, whatever.

"Well then, why don't we discuss it? I shall get you another drink."

I looked down and saw I was on the last few sips. I downed it and nodded.

"Sure. It's a margarita. I'll be over there." I gestured towards an empty, quieter area of the club with seating.

When Loki returned, we talked for what seemed like hours. First I asked about Asgardian alcohol, and then we talked about books, and then it moved onto music. But I couldn't explain that really well, so I had to bring out my phone and play something for him on YouTube. He disliked the first song, calling it, "Midgarian rubbish."

Then it turned into a challenge to find something he liked. And then Luis Fonsi's Despacito came on the over head, and Mary grabbed me to go dancing. This time I went, cause I was totally sloshed enough by now, and I loved this song sober. It was fun, but also racy, for those that understood Spanish. We held hands for this dance and moved around like a couple idiots, I shook my ass quite a bit, moving my hips in circles, swaying them back and forth, and even wiggling downwards while bending my knees and coming up again.

Ed Sheeran's Shape of You was next, and for this one, me and Mary did a dance that we made up, less sexy, but it flowed better and made me feel like I could dance, since we worked it out and practiced beforehand. After that, Maroon 5's Girls Like You came on, and we just did whatever. When this one was over, I was breathless and had to sit down. I took my seat next to Loki again, cheeks rosy and feeling hot under my dress.

"Sorry," I apologized, "Mary can be, well, her."

"It's alright. I've decided I quite like that first song."

The way he was looking at me hinted that it wasn't for the music itself, and I blushed at the insinuation. I was so sloshed.

"I have to use the restroom," I said suddenly, "Please excuse me, again."

I didn't wait for an answer, but got up and rushed off quick. There was a line, of course, so I leaned against the wall and waited, trying to be patient. A black man slid by me on his was out of the men's room.

"You look really good in that dress," he said.

I smiled and thanked him, and I was glad when he moved on. A girl emerged from the bathroom, and the one in front of me went in. My turn next. While I was waiting for her to come out, another man coming out of the men's room approached me, saying hello. I said hello back, and we chatted a bit, me trying to be polite but not very personable, when he glanced over to my left and then back at me.

"Hey, that guy is kind of glaring at me," he said in an undertone.

I looked over too and found Loki was standing a distance away, and he was indeed sending death looks at the man talking to me.

"Oh," I laughed, "Yeah, he probably wants to hurt you."

The guy talking to me looked surprised, then scared, and then rushed off back to his friends. I burst out laughing as I took the girl's place in the one person bathroom stall. The look on his face was priceless. After I used the necessities, I came back out and found Loki still waiting for me.

"I'd scold you, but instead I'm going to thank you," I told him, "I'm not sure how I was going to get out of that one. I'm pretty relieved you were there."

"I'd be glad to go and beat him for you," he said seriously.

"No, that's okay. If I'd felt it was necessary, I'd have kicked him in the groin by now."

"Such savagery," he said, "I approve."

He handed me another drink, and I looked down at it, suspicious, then back up at him.

"Are you trying to drug me?"

"If I was, wouldn't I have done it with the first drink I procured for you?"

Oh. Good point. I can't believe I didn't catch that before. Reluctantly, I drank. I suppose he didn't even need the use of drugs if he wanted to do something to me.

"Although," he added, leaning closer to me, "You smell divine. Enough to make one wish to devour you."

Eep. Loki really did want to eat me. I couldn't breathe. My heart was pounding in my chest, his nose was still brushing against my neck, inhaling my perfume.

"Why are you following me?" I asked, feeling lightheaded.

"What makes you think I am?"

"Every time I turn around, you're there. Especially when there's another man nearby eyeing me."

"I simply like to protect what is mine."

"Yours?"

I put a hand on his chest and tried to push him back a bit, but it was like trying to move a mountain. Instead, I stepped back slightly and looked up into his eyes.

"Loki, I barely know you, and you me. I am my own. I don't belong to you."

"Perhaps for now." He put a hand under my chin and made sure I couldn't look away as he stared down at me. "You will be mine, and mine alone. Do you understand?"

I stared at him. His voice, his eyes, those words. I was suddenly so turned on, and so flustered. What did a woman say to something like that from someone like him, in a situation like this? I could think of nothing, so I simply walked away, found Mary, and insisted we leave. I was silent on the way home, thinking about Loki. What did he want from me? Why was he interested in me at all? I wasn't a beautiful or powerful goddess. Just some mortal.

Mary dropped me off at my apartment, and I got ready for bed. I was out like a light once my head hit the pillow, and I nearly overslept too, so it was a rush to get to class on time. I went straight to work after class, and of course, Loki showed up. When I glared at him, he put his hands up defensively.

"I'm only here to try a burger," he said.

"Where's Thor?" I asked.

"He is not my keeper," Loki informed me stiffly, "I had no idea you were so fascinated by my brother."

"I didn't mean it like that," I sighed.

His expression softened, and he nodded once.

Nothing of interest happened further than that, and he again left me a rather large tip. Only a few minutes after Loki left, Thor came inside and asked me if I knew where Loki was.

"Why would I know anything?" I asked, raising my brows.

Thor shrugged.

"I think he likes you. But not nearly as much as I like you."

I stared at him. Really? What was with men lately?

"I'm not interested, but thank you."

"Are you not? Every other mortal maiden seems to be. What makes you so different?"

"Not to be rude or anything, but you're not my type."

"You truly prefer my brother?"

"Yes."

"Why?"

"Because he's- I don't know. I can't describe it. Except, he makes me want him, but I know I shouldn't go for it."

"Do you fear him?"

"Not exactly. It's more... when he looks at me, I can practically see what he wants to do to me in those eyes. And it excites me, but does scare me, not because I worry he will hurt me, but because I know I'd enjoy everything he'd do to me. He just has this aura that draws me to him that you lack. That every male I've ever seen lacks."  
"You make a lot of sense."

"I'm trying, okay? I did say it was hard to explain. Let me try again. It's more like... the day being unbearably hot, and there's a lake in front of you. You know it would be absolutely amazing to dive in, but you have no idea what's lurking under the surface. There's so much I don't know about Loki, and it's the unknown that frightens me, not him, really."

Thor grinned a little too widely, then in a flash, Loki was standing in his place.

"Why, thank you. I had no idea you had such strong emotions for me."

My eyes widened.

"What the- you can't just- Loki!"

The god chuckled, and I felt the skin of my cheeks heat up.

"Now that I know this, you will succumb to me eventually, whether you come willingly or not."

The last part made me shudder with desire. Suddenly my head was full of images of Loki taking me. Me resisting. begging for mercy, Loki rough and ruthless. I bit my lip and looked away from him as the scenes faded from my mind.

"Oh. You prefer not."

I looked up at him fast, alarmed. How did he ? He gave me the familiar wicked grin, and my toes curled inside my tennis shoes. Son of a biscuit eater, if he didn't stop that...

"Don't worry. Soon."

And then, he left. I groaned and leaned my head back to stare at the ceiling. Why? Why did he do this to me? I quickly forgot my frustration though as work took over my brain and people filled the restaurant. Everyone and his brother came in during the last hour as usual. By the time I got home, I was pissed the hell off. Not only did a large church group come in before going to services, but they left me a bunch of religious pamphlets as a tip. I mean, what the fuck was I going to do with that? You can't pay bills with those. I was too riled up and eager to hit something to sleep, so to the bath tub it was.

I filled it with hot water, some Epsom salts, and vanilla scented bath oil. I kept the lights off, and placed a few vanilla bean scented candles around the room strategically. And then, of course, I acquired a glass of red wine with notes of chocolate and cherry before getting into the warm water. Ah, bliss. I was pretty sure that when I died, this would be heaven. I had The Wise Man's Fear playing as I soaked, and I leaned my head back on the bath pillow and closed my eyes, taking everything in. The warmth, the sultry scent, the silky feeling of the oil in the water, the wine coursing through my veins, and the story being told to me by Nick Podehl. I loved the way he did Master Kilvin's accent, I reflected absently, taking another sip of wine.

Once the water began to turn cold, I got out, drained the tub, dried off, and went to my bedroom, where I put on my Christine Daae robe that I got from Victorian Trading Company, and began to sing Think of Me from the Phantom of the Opera. In theater, we were planning on performing Wicked, and I was selected to play the part of Elphaba, so I really should practice that, but my mind was on Erik right now. I got lost in the song, imagining I was singing to an audience instead of my empty bedroom. Once it was over, I basked in the imaginary applause. Until, a voice scared me out of my skin.

"You have such a wonderful voice, darling. How I long to hear it scream beneath me."


	2. Chapter 2

In Loki's Possession

Chapter 2

I shrieked, jumped slightly, and spun around. There stood Loki, looking at me with an unholy light in his green eyes and a mad grin that made me want to run.

"Loki!"

"I do love to hear my name coming from those lips," he said, stepping closer to me.

"Loki, what the actual fuck!" I shouted.

Why was he always around? Was he trying to keep me off balance or something?

"You sound upset."

"Yeah, this is my house. Where I live. Alone. And I didn't invite you."

"As if that has ever stopped me."

The story of Loki showing up uninvited to a party of the gods and killing Baldur popped into my mind, and I swallowed hard. Hopefully this wouldn't end similarly. I didn't think so. He seemed to be more horny than murderous. Then again, if the stories were true, his sexual appetite was also vast and varied. What the hell did he want with me?

"You know, you really do smell amazing," he said.

He stepped closer and lightly brushed the back of his fingers from my collarbone, up my neck, to behind my ear.

"So soft..." he whispered, green eyes misty as he looked at the trail his fingers followed, "And so beautiful. The way the candlelight illuminates your porcelain skin."

His eyes met my hazel ones, and my lips parted slightly as I reminded myself to breathe. I put one hand on his chest in warning.

"Loki..." I whispered, half pleading, half stern.

"I could easily overpower you if I wanted to," he said hoarsely.

"You wouldn't."

Somehow, and I don't know how, but I knew this to be fact. He would only take me with my full consent. Perhaps we would play at me resisting, but he wasn't the sort of man to do it for real. But my words caused some sort of change to take place in his face. He looked almost, no, he did look angry.

Somehow though, it wasn't entirely human, as if the planes and angles of his face had shifted into something... different. And was I imagining things, or did his eyes glow a faint red for an instant?

"And why not?" he growled, stepping even closer to me. As he was already quite close, this forced me to take a step back, step on the train of my dressing gown, and fall backwards onto the bed that was thankfully right behind me. Loki did not catch me, or attempt to help me. Instead, he was right on top of me, forcing my legs apart by planting a knee between them on the edge of the mattress, arms extended and hands placed on either side of my head as he leaned closer to me.

"You have no idea of what you're dealing with, mortal. I am a god. More than that, I am a monster. And you are weak and helpless to stop me from quenching my lust with your soft, supple young body."

My heart was pounding and I was shaking, but I was angry, and I glared right back at him.

"A monster? Who told you this?"

"It is obvious, from the moment of my birth and through every action of my life. Do you imagine me to be innocent? A victim? Poor Loki, it isn't his fault."

I shook my head, refusing to let his taunting get to me. His tone was sharp and snapped at me like a whip, but I snapped right back.

"That is because you have made wrong choices," I retaliated, "If you are a monster Loki, it is because it's what you have chosen. Evil isn't born, it's made. You have the power to change for the better. Only you. No one else can make decisions for you. So perhaps you should choose to prove everyone wrong, and start making the right choices."

He drew back slightly, as if surprised, then scowled.

"Evil isn't born you say. What if I were to show you how very wrong you are."

Before my very eyes he changed. His eyes had been red, I realized, as they were now, and his skin turned from pale to dark blue. I felt a chill come from him that made me want to recoil. Oh how I hated the cold.

"You're a frost giant?" I whispered.

"And what do you say now about your assessment?" he sneered.

"I don't know much about Asgardians or frost giants, and I certainly don't presume to be an expert on you, but I still believe I'm right."

"Foolish mortal," he hissed, and backed away.

I sat up and watched him carefully.

"Wounded soul," I whispered.

"Arrogant too I see."

"I prefer to think of it as perceptive. I recognize a broken person when I see one."

"And what makes you so sure?" he demanded.

I shrugged.

"I have killed people, you know."

"I know. That doesn't change what I see before me."

He stared at me for a long moment as if imagining me wilting like a flower under his intense look, but I gazed calmly back at him, remaining decidedly un-wilted. Then he vanished. I sighed, letting some of the tension out. Well. Time to go to sleep then.

The next day I had neither work or class, so I slept in and woke up without an alarm. The first thing I did upon waking was to put on my dressing gown, run my hands through my disheveled mid length chestnut hair, and go make a cup of green tea. I was sitting in the living room quietly sipping my tea and watching Below Deck re runs when someone knocked on the door. Frowning slightly, I got up and went to answer it, wishing (not for the first time) that my door included a peep hole.

I almost threw my steaming hot tea in Thor's face, he looked so damn cheerful, and the sun still in the sky, the ass.

"Good morning!" he beamed.

At least he knocked, I decided, unlike some people.

"Thor. What are you doing here?"

I was so not feeding him. He'd eat everything I had and then still want more. Hell no. Go back to the diner.

"I just wondered what you did to Loki."

My eyebrows shot up, and I stared at him as if he grew another equally bushy head.

"What I did to him?" I repeated, just to be sure I heard that right.

"He was in a most foul mood last night."

"I didn't do anything to him. Except maybe make him look himself in the mirror."

"What?"

"Never mind it," I shook my head, "Is there anything else? Why are you here?"

"Well, Loki and I are here to experience Midgardian culture for a time."

"And I'm the only person on Midgard that can help you do that?" I asked skeptically.

"Actually, I was thinking you should meet-" he cut himself off, and his face fell.

"What?"

"Jane," he said quietly, looking heartbroken, "She- I-"

He turned and ran off, and I closed the door, shaking my head. Seemed like someone had been neglecting his woman with all the earth saving he'd been doing. None of my business, thank goodness. I took the rest of the day to have a spa day. Complete and total days off were rare, so I made the most of it. Hair mask, wash, body exfoliation, long shower. Facial, manicure, pedicure. From top to toe I pampered myself, with no Loki in sight. That changed at work the night evening.

"You don't honestly expect me to apologize, do you?" he asked when I looked at him like he was crazy.

I smiled and shook my head.

"I expect absolutely nothing from you, Loki."

He seemed surprised by that, which made me happy. Loki reminded me of a cat, very confident and poised. It was nice to knock him off balance sometimes. But turnabout is fair play, as the saying goes. Instead of the receipt being crumpled up and tossed aside, as per usual, Loki handed the slip back to me with a phone number scrawled across it.

"Hold up, what is this?" I asked as he made to leave.

"Well, as you told that drunkard a few nights ago, this is how it's done. So, do as the Midgardians do, yes?"

I chuckled. He was attempting to court me Midgardian style? How adorable was this? I mean come on, it's him.

"You have a phone?" I asked, bemused.

"Of course. Why ever not?"

I had no answer to that.

I stuffed it away in my apron pocket until the end of my shift when I got home, when I took it out and stared at it contemplatively. At last I shrugged and got out my phone. Fuck it, why not? It only took a minute to put Loki's number into my phone, and assign him a ringtone – Simply Three's Bad Guy – but so much longer to decide what to do with it. I should call him right? But not now, I just saw him, and I was about to go to sleep again. Tomorrow after class maybe. But then, what should I say? I had to have some reason to call him.

By the time I stepped off stage the next day though, I still didn't have a good reason thought up. Luckily though, I didn't really need to, because of course, he was there when we finished.

"You haven't called me yet," he said when I approached.

"You haven't stayed away long enough," I laughed.

"There is a set time a person must wait?"

"Well, not exactly, I don't think so.. It's complicated. I've never been the most social person anyway, so I barely understand it myself and definitely can't explain it worth a darn."

"I see."

"Liar," I grinned.

He smiled back at me, and I felt a little flutter inside. For the first time, we shared a moment of amusement totally devoid of sexual innuendo or grisly threats. It was nice, this feeling of camaraderie with him. As if we could actually be friends.

"So," I said awkwardly, "Uh, do you... like food?"

"Actually, I find Midgard has the best food of all the nine realms."

"Really?" my brows arched in surprise.

"Indeed."

"Okay. What are you in the mood for?"

"What would you suggest?"

"Drago's. As long as it's the one in Fat City, Metairie. The one in that hotel is terrible."

"Very well. That is where we shall go then."

Loki grabbed me, and the next thing I knew, we were standing in front of the appropriate restaurant.

"You didn't need to do that," I said, "We could have taken an Uber."

"A what?"

"Uh, it's like a cab service, but more convenient."

"Hmm. Next time, perhaps."

Always so sure of himself. We were seated, ordered drinks, and I promptly requested a dozen of the charbroiled oysters.

"They are amazing," I told Loki, "We'll probably need a few more dozen."

Loki chuckled.

"So, why is it you live alone?" he asked, "You have a friend you could share the rent with, a family I presume?"

"I prefer my own space, and privacy, that's why I don't live with Mary. My family... we're not on the best terms."

"Oh? Do tell."

"I'd rather not. You go first."

"If I do, you must share next."

"Deal."

"Well, my birth father left me to die, and Odin kidnapped me to use me centuries later as a political pawn. He let me believe that I was part of the family growing up, even if it never felt that way. Thor was always his favorite. My mother, on the other hand, is a lovely and wonderful woman. I rather think she would like you."

He stripped all emotion from his voice as he spoke, and rattled things off as if they were no more than fact and didn't bother him. I knew that behavior. I had used it myself. He was hurt. Deep down, he was very, very hurt. I also found it interesting that he thought of Frigga as his true mother, even though she wasn't the one that had given birth to him, but Odin he had obviously decided was not his father.

Our oysters arrived, and I watched Loki carefully as he ate his first one. His eyes lit up, and I smiled as I took a sip of my drink. I knew he would love them. They're too good not to.

"Two more dozen, please," he told the waiter.

I laughed slightly and went to eat some myself. We wound up dueling with our forks over the last few, despite the fact that we could have split them equally and there were more to come.

"Your turn," he said once they were gone, "Your family."

Damn. I was hoping he would have forgotten.

"Alright. I suppose my childhood started off decent enough. My father wasn't really around much, he was always working. It seemed my mother loved me though, until I got into high school. Something happened then. Her temper skyrocketed. It got to the point where I would ask an innocent question, and she would beat me over the head with a broom. Father never really put a stop to it. He said I deserved it for making her mad."

I looked down and played with my straw still in my drink.

"Your mother beat you? And your father did nothing?" Loki said, his voice lower and more ominous than ever before.

I smiled brightly at him.

"Yeah, terribly cliché, isn't it?" I laughed, "Honestly, it hardly bothers me anymore."

Loki didn't seem to believe me though, because his expression didn't change.

"I have a brother too, but he's traveling the world at the moment as a pilot. Dad never treated him the way he did to me, but then, he's my half brother. We have different moms. So I understand what you say about Thor and Odin, believe me on that. My birth wasn't planned, either. My parent's weren't married. So, sometimes I wonder if I was even wanted. That being said, I kind of understand your adoption circumstances, I guess."

"Sarah," Loki began, but I cut him off.

"Plenty of people come from similar circumstances. I'm not special. There's no point in looking for pity, and that's not why I say this."

"How did you deal with it so well then? You seem to have turned out remarkably well, where as I nearly destroyed a city."

"Well, I don't have magic powers," I smiled, "To my eternal lament. Honestly, I tried to spend as much time away from my parents as much as possible while I still lived with them. I figured the less we saw of each other, the less we would fight, since they seemed to be of the opinion that they were never in the wrong, because they're the parents. They never listened to anything I had to say, no matter how respectful I would be. So eventually I just stopped trying. I moved out as soon as I could."

"That is actually very smart," said Loki.

"So is backing off and letting me eat these oysters," I said, noticing the waiter making his way to the table with two large trays.

"One dozen," Loki negotiated, "The other half are mine."

"Deal. We still have to get dessert. I love crème brûlée. It's the only dessert I'll eat that isn't chocolate or beignets."

"Noted."

When we finished our meal, Loki swiftly paid the bill, despite my protesting.

"There is no way you can refuse to allow me to buy you some delicious aphrodisiacs," he smirked at me.

I blushed as I realize he was right, they were known to raise libido levels. I was lucky he didn't also insist on feeding them to me.

"Well, thank you for lunch. Maybe we could go swimming sometime. It's getting hotter outside."

"No, we should not go swimming," Loki said seriously, "But I would be thrilled to sit in the shade and watch you."

I bet he would.


	3. Chapter 3

In Loki's Possession

Chapter Three

Eventually, Thor returned to New Orleans with his, well, I guess girlfriend, Jane Foster. I don't know what happened between the two of them, but he seemed rather nervous around her, as if she was still mad at him over some sort of mistake. I didn't exactly know how to make friends, but I tried my best with her. And Darcy too. I liked her though, at lot.

"Would you like to have a pool party?" I asked the girls, "We can bring food and alcohol, my friend Mary would like to meet you both I'm sure."

"Yeah, that sounds great," Darcy said, "I'm totally down."

"Alright," Jane smiled, then a strange look over her face when Loki entered the room.

"I do hope I am invited," he said, "I'd be thrilled to provide the food."

"Sure," I said, "Much appreciated."

"Wait, you're Loki," Jane said, walking toward him.

"Yes, you may have heard -"

I surprised myself by how fast I moved. I don't know how I was expecting her to hit him, her body language just seemed off. But the next thing I knew, my forearm was blocking hers from descending on Loki. Hiding my shock, I twisted my arm to grab her wrist and pull it down and to the side.

"That's unnecessary," I said quietly, my voice sounding like frost.

"He attacked New York!" she said hotly.

"You don't know the circumstances behind it. Until you do, what right have you to judge him?"

"I know all I need to know – he's a monster!"

I glared at her. I wanted to hit _her_, but I restrained myself. Loki's attack on New York seemed a little suspicious to me, mostly because he didn't seem the type of man to be talked out of anything once he was committed to something. There were details missing here that very few knew about. Maybe I could talk to Thor about it later.

"I must ask you to refrain from being so rude as to call people names while in my presence," I said icily, releasing her wrist, "That, too, is unnecessary."

Jane huffed, whirled on her heal, and walked away.

"I'll bring the alcohol to the party!" Thor exclaimed suddenly.

He and Darcy hi fived.

"And what am I to do in order to show my thanks to my valiant savior?" Loki whispered in my ear, his tone a mixture of seductive and mocking.

I rolled my eyes and answered back, "Behave yourself."

"Ooh, you drive a hard bargain."

Over the next few days, we made plans for the party, and I worked at the diner and on the stage in classes. I was in my element there, at least. I sang _The Wizard and I_, and we were just moving on when I caught a flash of green at the back of the house. No. He wouldn't, would he? Once rehearsals were over, I walked back to where I had seen it and looked around. Loki was no where in sight, but that didn't mean he wasn't present.

"I know you're there," I said, "Come out."

He appeared on a chair in flash of green.

"Impressive," he admitted.

"Not really. I saw your magic."

"I meant your performance. Did I not mention I enjoy this play?"

"No. Though now that you mention it, that doesn't surprise me."

"You were truly amazing," he said, standing and looking into my eyes, "I love your voice. The power in it, the yearning, the vulnerability."

I shrugged and looked away, embarrassed.

"Acting is my passion, music is too, so this is perfect for me."

"Why do you blush?" he asked, putting a hand to my cheek and making me look at him.

"It – I – it's weird having you watch me, doing this," I replied, "I don't know..."

"I am welcome to the show, am I not?"

"Uh, yeah. Sure."

"Excellent. And I also look forward to seeing you at the party tomorrow. But for now, I believe we should obtain something to sustain ourselves with."

"Do you like beignets?"

"I don't know."

"Well, let's find out. Too bad Morning Call closed down, Cafe Du Monde is such a tourist trap. Oh well, let's go there."

We got an Uber ride this time, and it was hilarious to see the driver sending Loki terrified glances through the rear view mirror. I would have laughed, but the look on his face stopped me.

"What is it?" I asked softly.

"Oh, nothing. Only I hardly comprehend how you can bear to be in the presence of such a monster."

I sighed. I knew I should have hit Jane.

"Ignore her. And everyone else that says that. They don't know jack shit."

"And you do?"

"I know things aren't always what they seem, as I suspect is the case here. But you won't tell me anything."

Loki said nothing, and I pressed on.

"Why? Would it truly hurt you so much to be open and honest with me?"

"I am the god of lies. Truth isn't really something I practice."

"I see," I said, stung, "So earlier when you complimented me, those were lies?"

"What? No."

"You are so confusing," I fumed, "On one hand, you want to get closer to me, at least close enough to fuck me it seems, but then, you have this wall up that I can't seem to even crack. I don't know what to do."

"Fucking doesn't involve opening up, unless it's you opening your legs for me," he spat acidly.

I clenched my fists.

"I thought we were friends, Loki. Is sex all you want from me? Because I hate to tell you, but I'm not that type of woman. I want more from anyone I take to bed."

"That is so adorable, you think you'd be the one taking me."

Groaning, I leaned my head back against the seat. How did one pray to a god or gods for patience, when a god was the one causing the need for it in the first place? We arrived at our destination soon after that, and I got out of the car quickly and stormed away without waiting for Loki. He caught up to me though, grabbing me by the wrist.

"Sarah, I'm sorry."

I turned my wrist in his grasp and yanked fast, jerking myself free. I glared into his stunned face and poked him in the chest hard.

"You should be. I have been nothing but nice to you since I first set eyes on you, and you thank me with venom and coldness. I am not your enemy Loki, stop treating me as such."

"Alright. You're right. I'm sorry."

God of lies he might be, but I believed him none the less.

"Fine. Let's just get our beignets."

The doughy sugary goodness took all my irritation away, and Loki was kind enough to transport me home before leaving me alone. It wasn't that late, come to think of it, so even though I had work tomorrow, I invited Jane, Darcy, and Mary over for movies, pizza, and beer. During a bathroom break, when I went into the kitchen for more pizza and beer, Jane came to talk to me.

"Thank you for inviting me," she said, "Considering our... disagreement earlier."

"I could hardly invite Darcy and not you too," I said dryly, "She'd tell you about it, and you'd be offended, thus even more drama is born. I didn't feel like dealing with it."

"Oh."

I stepped past her and sat on the couch, pretending like I wasn't still angry with her. Once the others gathered back to the living room, the movies resumed. Eventually we all fell asleep right where we sat. Mary woke us all up in the morning, and we set about putting on bathing suits with cover ups and packing bags full of towels, sunscreen, and other useful equipment. Thor and Loki showed up, and we all split into separate cars, mine and Mary's, to drive to the pool. While us women set up chairs and umbrella's over them, Thor dove straight into the pool, and Loki arranged a food station. But when I took off my cover up and turned around, he was standing right there.

"You're doing this on purpose," he told me, his eyes raking up and down my body, which was scantily clad in a yellow bikini.

"What? Going for a swim?" I smirked.

Loki's eyes narrowed into slits, and I pranced away before he could try something, diving into the pool. While the lot of us swam and drank and ate, Loki stayed in the shade and watched us all. I started to look over at him more and more, thinking how I didn't like to see him sitting all alone. So I finally got out of the water, wrapped a towel around myself, and went to sit on the lounge chair next to his.

"Why don't you come swim with us? It's fun."

"No."

"You can't swim, can you?"

"Do not be ridiculous. I can swim, I just prefer not to."

"What is it with you and water?" I frowned.

He remained silent for a long minute, and I waited as patiently as I could before I caved.

"Come on, Loki. Please talk to me. You can tell me anything, I won't laugh at you."

He turned his head and glared at me full on, but my expression didn't change from my innocent, pleading one I used to get cookies.

"Very well," he said solemnly, "Since you are a weak, pathetic mortal, I suppose I can divulge this secret without you using it against me. My powers do not work in water."

I smiled softly.

"Loki, you don't have to be ready for anything at a moment's notice. No one is going to attack us out of no where."

"You do not know this. Are you clairvoyant?"

"No," I admitted, "But there are some things that you just know, you know?"

"No."

I sighed. "Okay."

I went back to the water to plot my next move. I waited an hour or so to make sure Loki had forgotten our conversation, then got one of the brightly colored plastic buckets we brought with us, scooped up some water with it, and snuck up behind Loki. Grinning evilly, I tossed the contents of the bucket all over him.

But of course, he vanished in a shimmer of green and gold, and the water fell onto the concrete where he had been standing. I spun around, knowing what was coming, but even so, he was far faster then me. I squeaked as I went down on one of the lounge chairs, Loki on top of me.

"You dare to try to trick the trickster?" he said.

"Um, I uh."

I wiggled underneath him, my brain scrambling to come up with a real sentence. Was he going to eat me now? He looked like he wanted to.

"Loki, I'm all wet," I said.

Just when I realized how that sounded, how he would take it, as the blush spread across my cheeks, that insane, wide grin appeared on his face.

"Oh little one, I know you are. You're practically dripping, aren't you?"

"Loki..."

I shifted uncomfortably, and a second later, something small and white bounced off the back of Loki's head. He whipped his head around, and I craned my neck to see what was going on behind him. Just then Mary threw another piece of sushi at Loki, hitting him right in the face. I bit my lip to stop from laughing. She threw another piece at him, but he opened his mouth and ate it in one bite. He gave her a smoldering glare.

"It needs soy sauce," he said in the most serious voice I'd ever heard, making me burst out laughing.

This was so ridiculous!

"Back away from my friend, I'm armed!" Mary declared, hoisting up a platter of crunchy rolls in one hand.

"No, not the good ones!" I protested through my laughter, "Use the shrimp tempura ones!"

"No!" Darcy yelled.

"Even though the lunatic doesn't like shrimp, I must still ask you to release her!" Mary shouted at Loki.

After a few more seconds, perhaps to prove that she and her sushi ammo had no power over him, Loki moved away from me and let me get up.

"I do not understand," Thor said.

"It's a Midgardian female thing," Darcy explained, as if that explained everything.

"Ah," Thor nodded, as if he understood now.

I smiled at Loki and held up a crunchy roll that I'd dipped in soy sauce.

"More?" I asked.

He nodded, and I fed it to him. The others went back to partying, while Loki and I sat in the shade, eating, drinking, and talking.

"Wait!" I exclaimed suddenly, "I have work! Loki, take this away from me!"

I shoved my drink into his hand and looked up at him, panicked.

"Do you have any magic powers to take away drunkendedness?"

"No," he replied, "If I did, I would use it on Thor all the time."

"Fair enough," I said sadly, leaning on him.

He chuckled, and I listened to the rumbling sound it made in his chest.

"I don't wanna go to work," I whined, then looked up at him suddenly.

"Can you kidnap me?" I asked hopefully.

Loki groaned.

"You should not tempt me like that, little one. I would love to, but I'm not sure you understand what you ask. Especially in your present state."

"I never thought you were such a gentleman," I pouted.

"It's a fine line that I walk," he said, "You should not be so eager to arouse the darkness in me."

I bit my lip and frowned as my drunk mind swirled.

"But I want you, Loki. All of you. Even the darkness."

His hands tightened on me, and he took a deep breath in through his nose.

"Sarah..." he said warningly, his voice rougher than usual.

Abruptly, he stood, taking me up in his arms, and started walking. My hopes rose for a bit, then I was flying through the air, and a second later, crashed into the chilled water of the pool. My head spun and my world became a whirl wind of bubbles for a few seconds, then my feet kicked hard, striking the bottom of the pool, and I propelled myself upward.

My head broke the surface of the water, and I coughed up some water I had accidentally swallowed, wiping water and my hair out of my eyes. I could see Mary shouting at Loki, Thor walking my way, and Darcy and Jane standing by watching.

"What the hell is wrong with you!" Mary shouted.

"It was better than the alternative," Loki said calmly.

I swam over to the edge of the pool and climbed out slowly.

"I'm fine," I told Thor as he put a hand to my shoulder, "Mary, stop, leave him alone. Come on, I've got to go home and get ready for work."

My head cleared before I got to work, but I was strangely depressed, and I couldn't understand why. It was a good thing that Loki didn't take advantage of me when I was drunk, wasn't it? Then why did I feel so sad? When I got home, I sat on the couch in a nest made of fluffy blankets and ate coffee flavored ice cream straight out of the carton with the biggest spoon I had.

"This is bullshit," I told my television.

Naturally, it didn't answer. I threw my head back to rest on the back of the couch and stared up at the ceiling as I thought things through. If I went to Loki and tried to seduce him, maybe... No, I couldn't do that. I'd never seduced a man before. Besides, he wasn't your average guy, this was a god. He'd probably, well, I know he'd been with so many other women, goddesses included, and must have been drop dead gorgeous. He'd been with men too I bet, and horses. At least one horse. But if he was a horse at the time too, did that make things not weird?

This wasn't fair. I didn't know much about him, but I wanted him inside me so badly. This was so unlike me. And yet it seemed he wanted me just as much as I wanted him. So why hold himself back? Was it just because I was drunk? No, it couldn't be. He's had plenty of opportunity to bed me when I hadn't been drunk. What the heck was going on? Did he think I was sexy or not?

Frustrated, I slid a hand down my body and began playing with myself. One hand massaged my clit in circles, and the other caressed my breasts, squeezing and rolling the nipples. I spent quite a while pleasuring myself, and when I finally orgasmed, I went to bed thinking about Loki and if it had been his hands on me instead. Then I thought of his mouth, and then his cock.

"Fuck," I swore, "Alexa, read Terrier on Audible."

I fell asleep listening to Beka Cooper, but once I got to sleep, things changed. Loki and I were sitting facing each other in the snow, and we were naked, and having sex. So of course when I woke up I was soaking wet and had to pleasure myself again. Once that was taken care of, I took a shower and called Loki when I got out.

"Well, this is a surprise," his deep voice said, filling my ear with it's sultry warmth.

Closing my eyes, I took a deep breath, counting to ten and reminding myself not to say dirty things over the phone to Loki.

"Can – Can you come over?" I asked.

He was there before I hung up.

"Of course."

I gave him a serious look and said, "First of all, we are never having sex in the snow. I hate the cold. I like warm things, like fluffy blankets, and hot chocolate."

He looked confused, but agreed.

"So, tell me things," I said, "I want to know about you. Your past."

He settled onto the couch slowly. We talked late into the night, and I learned a lot about Loki. He told me stories about his life. He made me laugh, he made me cry, and he made me feel everything in between. Yet by morning, something was still missing. So it was with no small amount of trepidation that I went to Thor.

"When Loki attacked New York, what really happened?" I asked, "He's not the sort to change his mind in the middle of something like that. And he won't tell me about it. Somehow, I know he never will."

Thor sighed.

"This does not surprise me," he said, "It is true, nothing I said could change his mind. It wasn't until we confiscated his scepter that he saw sense."

"What?" I frowned.

"I believe someone was controlling his mind through the use of it, for soon after it was out of his possession, he saw sense. It wasn't until then that the attack stopped."

"Oh. Well, who gave it to him?"

"I do not know. He will not speak of it. I think merely the suggestion that anyone or anything could control his mind is a truth he cannot admit even to himself. My brother is a proud man, and prizes his intellect highly."

"Mmmm. With good reason," I murmured.

I didn't tell Loki what I learned, and over the next few weeks, we spent more and more time together. Mary insisted we were dating, and I insisted she was crazy. Loki saw humans as inferior, he was too above them. So why would he lower himself enough to entertain one romantically? Things only got worse when she got Darcy in on it.

"I mean, you two do have an insane amount of sexual attraction," the dark haired girl insisted, "Couldn't cut it with a butcher knife, it's so thick."

"Lust doesn't equal love," I pointed out.

"I'm not talking about lust, I'm talking about chemistry."

"Chemistry can make things explode," I said dryly.

"Come on, you two would be good together," Mary said, "You're not a pushover and won't put up with his bullshit."

"He's a god, I'm a mortal," I replied stubbornly, "Besides, from what I hear, his ass of a so called father would never agree to it."

"As if either of you need his permission," Darcy scoffed, "Loki would probably dance a merry little jig at the chance to irritate Odin."

"I don't want his reason for being with me to be to upset his father. There's got to be more than that."

"There is! You just won't open your eyes and see it!" Mary exclaimed, "You are so stubborn, you two are perfect for each other."

The problem with this was, I wanted them to be right. Deep down, I thought I was starting to feel something for Loki, more than physical attraction. Yet I dared not let myself hope. That, more than anything else, was dangerous.


	4. Chapter 4

As May came to a close, so did the school year, and that meant our production of Wicked was soon upon us. I was as ready as I could be, but that didn't stop me from being nervous. Performing live was brutal. All the practice in the world didn't matter, it was what happened in front of the audience that mattered. And live, there was no room for error. Any mistake made, you couldn't just call cut and re do it, have the perfect version presented. This was it.

I resisted the urge to peak out at the audience as the time grew nearer, knowing Loki would be watching. Wait, no, I had Mary out there too, I wasn't totally fixed on Loki, he was just a friend anyway. Soon though, I had to drag my mind back to the task at hand, which was being awesome. As it turned out, I had nothing to worry about. Since I was so awesome, I performed spectacularly, and no one else messed up. Lights and music did their jobs on time, so I was extremely relieved and thrilled when the show ended.

Loki, Thor, Mary, Jane and Darcy were backstage when I stepped off. I was coming up behind Loki, intending on surprising him with a huge hug, when I heard what Thor was saying.

"You have grown very close to Sarah, haven't you, Loki?"

I stopped and smiled, but Loki's next words made it vanish.

"Close to a Midgardian? Hardly. I'm not as sentimental as you."

"You care for her; we can all see it."

"I am the god of lies. I do not care for her, she's not even a friend. She's a mortal."

I frowned, feeling my eyes tearing up. Why would he lie to me all this time? I must have let a small sound escape, because Loki suddenly turned and saw me standing there.

"Sarah-"

"So, I was just entertainment to you. Of course, I'm such an idiot. The heroine can't change the bad guy with a smile and friendship."

I shook my head and ran off. I don't know if Loki tried to follow me or not, but I didn't look back to find out. I went straight home to get all the green off me in a hot shower, changed, and took an Uber to my favorite bar. Instead of margaritas, tonight I drank white Russians. I drank an unwise amount, as it turned out, but in the moment, I couldn't care less. What made me start to care was when a man started hitting on me and would not take no for an answer.

Just as I was contemplating physical violence to get him away from me, my least favorite person in the world showed up and beat me to it. Loki punched him so hard, he flew a few feet and crashed behind the bar. The bartender was not pleased. Neither was the bouncer, who stoically informed Loki that he had to leave.

"I was just on my way out," Loki informed him, his tone biting. To me he added, "Come, you've had enough."

"That's none of your fucking business," I retorted.

Strangely, when I get really sloshed, I don't slur my words. In fact, they come out crisper and more precise than when I'm sober.

"You will do as I tell you, this is not a debate."

"I don't belong to you. Leave me alone."

Loki grabbed me and tried to pull me with him, but I resisted, slapping at his arms irritably.

"Damn it, Sarah!" he exclaimed, facing me fully and grabbing both my arms hard, even shaking me a little, "I am trying to protect you."

"I don't want you, Loki!" I glared at him.

He glared right back at me, then he was kissing me, and it wasn't just the drinks that made my foggy head spin. I froze for an instant in shock, my eyes almost closed and I nearly kissed him back, but then my eyes widened, I stomped on his foot, shoved him away, then punched him as hard as I could.

"That is sexual assault!" I shouted angrily.

"What?" Loki looked bewildered, "It was a kiss."

"That I did not consent to!"

"For the love of-"

He picked me up and slung me over his shoulder suddenly, making me squeal in alarm. I did not like being upside down. Nope. I screamed obscenities at him and beat on his back, which accomplished nothing. Bloody Viking god. I was carried out of the bar and he did his little teleport thing, then I was on a soft bed with silky green sheets. Not my bed.

"Now you're kidnapping me? What the fuck?!"

Loki grabbed a handful of hair at the base of my skull and yanked hard, forcing my head back. I yelped in pain, but it was swallowed by his mouth on mine. The sensations were too overwhelming, his hot tongue in my mouth, my ass being squeezed, my head whirling, and the strangely nice pain at my scalp.

He moved to start kissing my neck suddenly, and I moaned. This was the most amazing thing I'd ever felt. My eyes rolled back in my head, my toes curled, and I shuddered with pleasure. My hands tightened on his shoulders, then I flattened them again and struggled to push him away, alarmed.

"Loki, no," I gasped breathlessly, squirming underneath him, "Stop!"

As abruptly as the onslaught started, it stopped. Loki released me and stepped away, his eyes dark and wild. I scrambled to sit up and stared at him wide eyed, my chest heaving. Even he seemed a little out of breath.

"No," he said, his voice hoarse, "Not like this. Not at first."

Before my brain could process what he said and ask what he meant, he was gone, the door slamming behind him. I shuddered and curled into a ball, resting my chin on my knees. What. The. Fuck. Was that? I was so confused. And sloshed. And sleepy. I didn't even undress. I crawled under the comforter, surrounded by the silky sheets, and was out of it almost as soon as my head hit the pillow.

When I woke, I was surprised I didn't have a hangover. Loki was standing there, arms folded, watching me.

"You are a such a light weight," he commented.

I frowned at him, then realized I was naked, and glared at him.

"What did you do to me?"

"I just undressed you, so that you would be a little more comfortable. Unlike you, I have control of myself."

"What is that supposed to mean?"

"Do you have any idea what sort of danger you put yourself in last night? Going out, getting drunk, and with no one sober and responsible there to keep you safe."

"I'd hardly call you responsible," I retorted dryly.

"I wasn't talking about me. I meant someone else. Jane maybe, she's boring enough. But Mary would likely be more protective of you and therefore more vigilant."

"Why do you care? You made your feelings of me very clear."

Loki shook his head.

"I didn't mean what I said. As usual, I was lying."

"I don't believe you," I said hotly, "How can I? You are _so_ convincing. How can I know when you're telling the truth and when you're not?"

Loki dropped his gaze, then looked at me again after a few seconds.

"You can't."

"And that is the most honest thing you've ever said to me. Which is sad. You didn't even promise to tell me the truth from now on, and I find that very telling."

"Would you believe me even if I did?"

"No. Do you really expect me to trust you?"

"If you did, you'd be a fool."

"Just leave, Loki. I want to get dressed, and then you're taking me home."

He did it, to my surprise. I thought he would be more difficult. But finally, it seemed, this was the end of my so-called friendship with Loki. If he did care, even slightly, wouldn't he fight harder? Why just give up now if he had been lying to Thor?

School ended, and I got a job offer to go to England and be a translator for a very high-end company, which I accepted gladly. The food would suck, but the money was outrageous, and I needed a change of scenery. I had my things shipped, packed a carry on with the essentials, had a last sleepover with Mary, and by mid-June I was on my way to the airport.

But of course, just as I was boarding, Loki showed up, running up to me with an admittedly beautiful bouquet of red roses. How did he know those were my favorite? Did Mary turn traitor?

"What are you doing here?" I asked, exasperated.

"I saw this in a Midgardian film. To show you how much I want you to stay."

I stared at him.

"Loki, it's too late. I can't cancel all my plans now just because you show up out of no where in weeks and ask me to in some big gesture."

"Then allow me to come with you."

"What? No."

"Why not?"

"I – I need to be alone for a while. I need to get my life sorted out, on my own. And that starts with not missing my flight."

I turned my back on him and walked away, leaving him standing there. I had been betrayed far too often in my life, stung too much to accept amends so lightly. This was a cute start at showing me he meant what he said, but he would have to keep going and fight more if he wanted me to start believing him.

And I didn't see him for months after that. I got a house in London and could afford much better furnishings with my new pay. Then I was able to afford better clothes. Linen, silk, cashmere, fur, velvet, in jewel tones like dark purple, sapphire blue, emerald green, garnet red, even grey, white, and black. Then I could afford real diamonds and pearls. My new life was so much more elegant than it had been, and I loved it.

I found Jane had moved to London as well for work, and that kind of ruined my happy high.

"You are running from your boyfriend too?" she asked when we met.

"I don't run from anyone, and Loki was never my boyfriend," I replied, "What happened with you and Thor?"

"I don't think our lives are compatible," she sighed, "I'm trying to give him up."

"Mmmm."

That's all I said, I swear, which I think shows remarkable restraint. I couldn't stand the big happy idiot, so I couldn't blame her really. However, my social skills had improved slightly while I'd been in London and I'd been networking with my coworkers, so I sensed this wasn't the time to say what I thought of Thor.

I had a birthday, and I invited Jane and Darcy, and a couple people from work. I was so lonely and miserable. After we had celebrated, I went home, alone, and there drank a couple bottles of wine by myself and sang the phantom of the opera until I passed out. Thank goodness I was smart enough to request the next day off from work. Still no hang over though. Odd.

More months passed, and so did a Christmas. Alone again, even surrounded by people and refinement. Damn, I never really believed them when they said money couldn't buy you happiness. I had more money than I knew what to do with, and I had never been more depressed in my life. New years passed as well.

And then Jane disappeared for a while, London got torn up a bit, and shortly after that, Thor visited me and delivered some very unexpected news.

"Sarah, I am sorry to have to tell you this… Loki is dead."

I stared at him blankly.

"Sarah?"

"I don't believe you," I said shortly.

"I assure you; I saw it."

"Tell me what happened. All of it."

So, he did. As I understood it, Loki had left me here on Midgard to go help with some crisis in Asgard without so much as a word, in hopes that Odin would lift his banishment. But a fight had occurred, of course, and he was stabbed and killed. The whole story was more detailed than that, but that was the gist of it. I shook my head slowly.

"No. I won't believe Loki is dead until I see his body. He's far too smart to get that close to an enemy. He doesn't fight like that. It isn't his style."

"Sarah…" Thor looked uncomfortable, but forged ahead anyway, "While we were en route to the dark realm, Loki and I had a conversation. About Jane. He warned me that Jane was mortal, she would die eventually, and I would not be ready for that. But it seemed to me he knew too much of what he spoke. I believe he was thinking of you. I think that is why he pushed you away at your performance last year, why he hasn't tried contacting you here in London, and perhaps even let himself be killed. Because he loved you."

"That's crazy. There are easier ways to kill yourself."

"Not for our kind. On Asgard, when it's too much, a warrior doesn't just commit suicide. He dives headfirst into a battle he knows deep down he cannot win. While not traditional, Loki was a warrior, he was of Asgard."

"He doesn't love me," I whispered, "And he's not dead. Please, just go."

With one last pitying look, he left. I got a bottle of wine and thought things over, going through things forward, backwards and vice versa. By the next day I was still convinced I was right, and there was no way Loki was dead. And I was right. Loki made me jump a foot in the air when he appeared suddenly the next day.

"I knew it!" I shouted, "I fucking knew it!"

"Yes, try to be a little louder, maybe they will hear you in Asgard," he said sarcastically.

I hit his arm, then grabbed his collar and pulled him down to my level for a searing kiss.

"That is sexual assault," he whispered when we parted a few inches for air.

I laughed and kissed him again.

"Does this mean you aren't angry with me any longer?"

"No, I'm not. Of course, I'm not. But what are you doing here? If you're supposed to be dead… why did you do it? Not just to show up here and resume life with me, or you could be caught."

"I am not here for that, no. I'm here to bring you to Asgard with me."

"What? Are you serious? Odin would never allow that."

"Odin is no longer a problem."

"Loki, what did you do?"

"I've just taken his place. No one will know it's really me. I am a master of illusions, after all."

"What if the real Odin were to walk in on you while you're posing as him? So that means you either had to put him somewhere like a prison where he couldn't escape, or you've killed him. So, I ask you again, what have you done?"

"He is safe. In a somewhat prison. It's nice, they give him pudding."

I didn't really care about Odin. I hated him in fact, even if I'd never met him. I had secretly been hoping he was dead. Oh well.

"So, move to Asgard. Me."

"Yes. Unless you're going to lecture me about needing to be alone to sort out your life again."

"No. I've been alone long enough. I want you. Fuck Midgard, let's go."

I didn't even formally quit my job, or pack anything. I grabbed onto Loki, and we teleported instantly into an extravagant bedchamber.

"I've already arranged things. You'll have your own chambers, and to the people you will be known at the advisor on Midgardian affairs."

I nodded slowly.

"Right, but… suppose I didn't have my own chambers. Suppose I shared yours?"

"What are you suggesting?"

"I'm suggesting we share this room, this bed…"

"Truly?"

"Yes. I want this. I want you. I've held myself back long enough."

"Oh, little one, I completely agree."


	5. Chapter 5

Loki put one hand to the back of my neck, gently tilting my head back to allow for a deeper kiss. While our other kisses had been passionate, this one made me melt. I felt warm, and happy, so gloriously happy. And I couldn't believe it took me a year and a false alarm death for me to realize I didn't want to waste one more minute being apart from him. It felt so nice just to hold him and be held by him. Soon he began to kiss my neck, and my knees went weak and I clung to him to stop from falling, moaning with pleasure.

"Sensitive here, as I remember," he whispered against my skin.

I could only whimper in reply.

Then he began to suck so tenderly on my neck, occasionally nipping at my skin, then licking away the light sting with a flick of his tongue.

"Oh," I gasped.

He began to kiss lower, then stopped where my décolletage disappeared into my shirt.

"This is in my way," he scowled, pulling it off me.

"So is yours," I murmured, "Is there no zipper? How do you get your pants off?"

Loki chuckled, took a few steps back from me, and slowly removed his clothes. I didn't even pay attention to how he did it, my widened eyes were too busy taking in the sight of every new inch of pale flesh he revealed. I sighed as my eyes roamed his body. He was too perfect.

I stepped closer to him and ran my hands up his chest, over his shoulders, down his arms, and then I dropped to my knees, gazing at his cock. That was supposed to go inside of me? I was skeptical of this idea. Slowly, I stretched out my hand and took hold of it, noting that my fingers couldn't even fit all the way around it.

"This is so strange," I commented, "It's hard, but soft."

There was that rich, deep chuckle I loved so much.

"Move your hand up and down," he instructed.

I did so, but I only lasted about a minute before my curiosity kicked in again. So I leaned in and licked the tip, then put it in my mouth, slowly moving back and forth to see how much I could take. It wasn't very much, but I tried. Loki did seem to enjoy it.

"So eager to kneel for me," he breathed.

I pulled back and replied, "Of course, my king."

Loki growled, a sound so feral that it sent chills down my spine, then I was thrown onto the bed on my back, and my pants and panties were yanked off. Then Loki parted my legs, and I half sat up, alarmed when I saw his head descending between my thighs.

"What are you doing?"

"A king deserves his long-awaited feast."

I couldn't help it. I began to giggle helplessly. When I didn't stop, Loki tilted his head back and looked at me curiously.

"What?"

"Ever since I met you, I've thought the way you looked at me, it made me think you've wanted to eat me. And now you finally get to."

I laughed until I went breathless and tears came to my eyes, and I saw Loki smiling softly as he watched me. When I finally calmed down and caught my breath, he dipped his head between my thighs again, and I tensed. What if I smelled down there? What if he didn't like this? Me?

"Relax," Loki whispered, kissing the innermost part of my thigh, "I won't bite."

"Not down there, you mean, but in other places," I retorted.

"You know me so well."

Then he began, and I gasped and went rock still. Wow. That felt unlike anything else, I couldn't describe it, but it felt so good. I didn't even know what exactly he was doing, but I didn't care. My head fell back and I completely relaxed, moaning. As good as his tongue on my clit felt, it made by back arch when he sucked. My toes curled when his tongue went exploring my pussy, and my hands grabbed fistfuls of the sheets.

My heart was pounding, and I was only dimly aware of the sounds coming out of me, the whimpers, moans, and occasional swearing. Something began building inside of me, whatever he was doing, it was too much. I squirmed and tried to get away, but Loki slid his arms under me, grabbed my ass with both hands, and held me in place.

"Loki," I gasped, "Loki, wait, I can't – ahhhhhhh!"

A tsunami crashed over me suddenly, the waves ripping me apart, and my body went taunt as a drawn bowstring. I shuddered as it subsided and went limp suddenly, shivering. Loki slowly crawled up on top of me, covering me with his body and gazing into my eyes intently.

"Are you alright?"

"Yeah," I smiled, "This feels strange. Like I'm floating on a cloud. Is this normal?"

"You don't know?"

"No. This is my first time."

"How is that possible? You are so gorgeous."

I smiled shyly and replied, "I've never seen anyone I was interested in. Until you."

"What have I done in my life to deserve you? I can think of nothing. But I will strive to be worthy of you."

"If I didn't think you were worthy of me, we wouldn't be doing this. Forget what anyone else says. The only opinion you need worry about is mine. And right now, my opinion is that you need to be inside of me already."

"Very well. Let me show you how it feels to be had by a god… if you can take me."

My pulse quickened as he positioned himself at my entrance, and he grabbed both my hands, intwining our fingers. I closed my eyes and turned my head, but Loki's voice made me look at him.

"No, open your eyes, little one. I want to see that innocent little look on your face when you feel yourself being filled for the first time."

I felt my face heat up and I knew I was blushing, and my eyes were as wide as saucers, but I couldn't bring myself to look away from him. Slowly, he pushed inside of me, and I frowned slightly, then gasped and made some involuntary movement to sit up or curl into a fetal position at the sharp pain that abruptly happened inside. He stopped then, and I gritted my teeth against the pain, focusing on breathing. In a few seconds, I nodded and lifted my hips a little, inviting him to continue. Inch by inch, Loki slide inside of me until he could go no further.

"Your tightness is incredible," he said.

"And your cock is huge," I groaned.

He withdrew an inch or so, then went hilt deep again. He did this a few more times, only moving a little back and forth, then slowly withdrawing further and further, picking up speed a bit. As things got more intense, I wrapped my legs around him. Loki released my hands, steadying himself with one arm braced, the other roaming my body. I dug my nails into his back as I held onto him, which made him growl.

A slapping sound filled the room and I lost myself in the sensations, dragging my nails down Loki's back and moaning. He snarled and bit my neck, making me squeal, but he never let up, taking me roughly now.

I began squirming around as the building sensation started deep inside me and looked into his eyes. Somehow, he seemed to know exactly what was going on with my body.

"Say my name," he commanded.

Being ordered around by him made me even more aroused, which I didn't think was possible.

"Loki," I sighed.

"Say my name," he demanded, a little more edge to his voice.

"Loki," I said.

"Say my name!"

"Loki!"

"SAY MY NAME!"

"LOKI!"

I screamed as my second orgasm of the night hit me, this one so much more intense than before. I couldn't control the way my body spasmed, then locked with my back arched. After a few seconds, my body relaxed, feeling like a limp noodle. Loki came inside of me, then pulled out and rolled onto his back, pulling me after him to lay half on top of him. I rested my head on his shoulder, let one hand play with his chest, and threw one leg over his, smiling happily.

"Loki?"

"Mmmm?"

"You'd be able to take a quick nip back to Midgard to get the rest of my birth control pills, right? I don't think we're ready for children yet."

"We most certainly are not. Worry not, I shall retrieve them for you."

I looked up at him, grinning.

"Bullshit. You'll get them for you. You can't fuck me without them."

"Correction, I can't fill you with my seed without them. I can still fuck you."

"Whatever. It's still for you."

"Perhaps."

I smiled as my eyes closed, and I nuzzled my face into his shoulder a little more. I was asleep in seconds. And when I woke, Loki was still there, to my shock. I wiggled around to face him and smiled up at him.

"Good morning."

I think that was the first time in my life I have ever dubbed a morning to be good.

"Ah. Good morning to you. How are you feeling?"

"A little sore," I admitted, "But happy about it."

"Not too sore to be formally presented to Asgard, I hope."

"No, of course not."

"Good, go get ready, I've brought your contraceptives and other personal items I thought you might want."

"Thank you, Loki."

I kissed him slowly, taking my sweet time, before hopping out of bed and rushing to the bathroom. When I saw what he brought, I yipped with joy. Not only did he bring all my Tatcha skincare, bare minerals makeup, the seaweed company unscented shampoo and conditioner along with my bottle of Camilla oil, pearl powder, and tsuge carved comb from Wawaza, he also brought my hypnotic poison perfume, along with the shower gel and body lotion. How did he get the gel and lotion? It was so hard for me to find.

I was surprised to find a shower here on Asgard, but then again, Loki probably managed to put it in himself somehow. I stripped down, turned the water on, and got in, sighing as the hot water cascaded over my body. I washed my hair first, scrubbed my body with a salt scrub second, then indulged in the scent of my hypnotic poison shower gel. Damn, did it smell so good, and feel so amazing on my skin. Once I dried off, I sniffed the body lotion the entire time I was applying it. I really could not get enough of this scent. I sprayed on the perfume after that and applied Camila oil to my hair while it was damp and emerged from the bathroom feeling quite pleased.

Loki had laid out all my underwear, as well as a pair of gold strappy heels and a stunning silk dress in what looked like liquid gold. It was sleeveless, with straps that fell off my shoulders, a not so modest but not too revealing neckline, and the bodice was form fitting, before the skirt fell loose and flowing.

"Feel free to choose whichever undergarments you like. It matters not, I shall be removing them later," Loki smiled sinisterly.

I chose the dark green strapless bra and panties that were trimmed in black lace.

"I approve," Loki said.

"I knew you would. But they're also very comfortable."

The dress was beautiful on me, complementing my pale skin and chestnut hair while making my hazel eyes pop. The heels I could actually walk in, too. Once I finished dressing, Loki magically dried my hair, and I went back into the bathroom. I put my long hair up in a bun at the back of my head, then let some of it fall down my back. I did my skincare routine before my makeup, which I kept simple; just foundation, concealer, blush, brow powder, a touch of black mascara and thin eyeliner, and bare minerals long wear lipstick in boysenberry.

"You look ravishing," Loki said when I stepped out.

"Thank you," I smiled.

For once, I actually felt beautiful too. Loki transformed before my eyes into an old one-eyed man, who I guessed to be Odin, and I immediately disliked it.

"I was going to say something similar to you, but I'm afraid I can't now," I sighed, "Let's get this over with."

Loki escorted me to the throne room, which was good because I would have been lost without his guidance. I was a little nervous when I saw how many people had gathered, but I trusted Loki to get me through this. As it turned out, all I had to do was stand there while Loki talked about me and introduced me.

"Sarah shall be our advisor on Midgardian relations from this point on. My son Loki has told me his love is extremely intelligent, and I trust to his judgement."

I glanced over sharply but said nothing. I'd talk to him later.

"I shall also put Loki's day into effect, where we celebrate my son and honor his courageous sacrifice. For now, we shall feast."

I was eager to taste Asgardian food. Many of us changed rooms to a massive banquet hall. I and Loki sat alone at a long table, which made me curious.

"Where is Frigga?" I asked.

I had really wanted to meet his mother.

Loki looked down at the table.

"Frigga is dead."

My eyes widened.

"What?!"

I couldn't believe it. Why hadn't he told me before?

"I'm so sorry," I said.

Lowering his voice, he hissed, "They didn't lift my banishment even to go to her funeral."

I shook my head at that, unable to believe Odin's cruelty. Wherever he was, I hoped he was miserable. I found it difficult to focus on the food and drink after that, it mostly got shoveled into me mechanically as my mind wandered. But I suppose it was good, if not, I would have noticed.

After the feast, there was a gathering sort of like a dance. I found too quickly that people were coming to talk to me, far too many at once in fact. Some seemed scornful of where I came from and only wanted to talk to me to tear me down in a polite but brutal way. Others seemed genuinely curious about my home realm, and it was them I delighted in talking to the most. It was nice to talk about where I came from, because honestly, I did miss it.

Once that wave had settled somewhat, plenty of men came up to me to ask me to dance. I agreed, seeing no harm in it. At least, not until I caught Loki glaring in my general direction. It was so strange, looking at him and seeing Odin instead. The urge to punch him was so strong when he was in that form. And I realized that was the reason he looked so angry. He didn't like all these men approaching me, getting their hands on me, yet in Odin's form, he was powerless to do anything about it. I ended my dancing when I realized all this and walked back over to him.

"Shall I escort you back to your chambers, my lady?" he asked loudly.

Remembering we had our parts to play when in public, I nodded graciously.

"Thank you, your majesty. I am rather tired after so much excitement."

I followed him out of the room and had to pull my skirt up slightly and jog to keep up with him all of a sudden. Back to our chambers we went, and as soon as we were in private, he changed back into himself again. The door closed behind me, Loki turned to face me, and I almost took a step back at the murderous look on his face.

"Enjoyed yourself, did you?"

I shifted uneasily on my feet.

"Not particularly."

"Oh? Why not? You seemed perfectly happy a few minutes ago."

"I am a rather talented actress, you forget," I said with a slight edge to my voice, but then my tone softened, and I continued, "I was thinking mostly about your mother. Loki, if you want to talk about it, if you want to cry, or rage, go ahead. I am here for you no matter what it is you need."

"No. What I want, what seemed needed, is for you to be reminded who you belong to."

A chill went down my spine as he began to stalk slowly towards me, and some part of my brain realized I wasn't getting out of this.

"I already know that," I protested weakly, "I belong to you, Loki. Only you."

"Then remove your clothes."

And sometimes, I realized, when someone didn't want to talk, cry, or rage, their coping mechanisms might include brutal intercourse. Oh well, it's better than him destroying a city. Progress was being made. And if this was what he needed, then I would ensure he got it. So off came my clothes.


	6. Chapter 6

Loki was not gentle with me in the slightest. As soon as my dress dropped to the ground, he seized me by the hair and forced me to my knees. Before I knew it, he was inside my mouth, moving in and out almost too fast for me to handle, holding me by the hair so hard it hurt. I put my hands on his thighs, almost going to push away, but I restrained myself, told myself to be calm, and concentrated on breathing through my nose. It seemed an age before he finished.

"Swallow," he growled.

I blinked, tears in my eyes, and slowly managed to swallow all of the salty sweetness without any escaping from my lips. He released my hair, and I pulled away, wiping my eyes. That hadn't been so bad. I went to get up, and he stopped me. I looked up at him, confused.

"You don't think I'm finished with you already, do you?" he smirked, a terrible light in his eyes, "My, my, what pitiful mortals you must be mistaking me for."

I could hardly believe my eyes. He was already getting hard again. I didn't resist as he pulled me up and to the bed. He sat down and put me face down across his lap. Even though I was expecting it, the slap on my behind still made me jump. I went breathless with the searing pain, wondering if it was possible to break someone's ass. He hit me again, and I yelped. Already I'd had enough. I tried to escape, but he held me and the blows rained down faster, harder. By the time he had his fill of that activity, my ass was on fire and I was sobbing.

"Please, Loki," I begged.

"Your cries are music to my ears," he said.

In a moment, I was forced onto my hands and knees on the bed, and before I could mentally prepare myself for it, Loki plunged into me from behind. I cried out at the sudden intrusion, and before I could adjust, he began a quick, rough pace. I whined as he forced my head down, my ass automatically going higher in the air. With my cheek pressed to the blankets, I screwed up my face to deal with the pain. It hurt when he went all the way inside of me so fast and hard. He was too big for me. Again, I tried to get away, but he grabbed my hips and continued to slam into me. My hands grabbed fist fulls of the blankets and my toes curled, the muscles in my body tensing against the onslaught. He slapped my ass and I yelped as my already wounded behind took more pain.

"Good slut. Take all of my cock in your tight little pussy."

I whimpered and buried my face in the comforter. I didn't know how much longer I could hold out. Loki pulled me upright by the hair, still pounding into me, and savagely bit my neck where it met my shoulder. I squealed at the sharp sting and tried to push him away, but it was like trying to swat at a mountain.

"Yes, fight me," Loki said lowly in my ear, and the dark amusement in his voice made me shudder, "You have no chance against me, mortal."

A thought occurred to me then. He wanted to hurt someone, and I had offered myself. But he didn't want me to submit meekly to my punishment. He was enjoying me struggling. Almost feeling as if I had permission now, I tried harder to get him to stop, to get away. Partly it was because he truly was hurting me, and another part of me did it for his benefit. It was a strange split of emotions and mental state.

I was turned over abruptly to lay on my back, and Loki was inside me again, grabbing my wrists so hard I thought he'd touch bone and pinning them to the bed. I turned my face, and he dove immediately for my neck, biting and sucking with fervor. When he finally drew back, I gave him a pleading look, tears swelling in my eyes. But that only seemed to excite him more. One hand was wrapped around my neck, slowly closing to cut off my air, and I panicked, grabbing at his hand and trying to pull it off, to no avail.

"The fear in your eyes is so erotic," he said as I clawed at his hand, gasping for breath, "Even better would be for you to clench around me in orgasm."

He was crazy. There was no way.

"You doubt me?" he snapped.

I couldn't move, couldn't speak, couldn't breath. I tried to communicate the best I could with my eyes, but that didn't sate him.

"I'm going to make you cum on my cock," he growled.

My eyes rolled into the back of my head as he rubbed my clit in rough, determined circles. My hips bucked against my own wishes, and though I wiggled and fought to get away, to stop the on rolling tide, I was helpless. My mouth opened in a silent scream as my orgasm hit me. Loki smiled his dark and threatening but also insanely sexy smile at his victory. I was only dimly aware of the sound of his body and mine meeting making slapping sounds, my vision dimming, when I heard Loki roar in triumph and felt his seed spill into me. He released my neck and I gasped in a rush of air, then coughed. I cycled through gasping and coughing for a few minutes, rolling over onto my side. Loki sighed and collapsed behind me, pulling me close to him and draping an arm over my middle, then pulling the blankets up with the other hand.

"Good slut," he said, the last words I heard before unconsciousness dragged me under.

I was only half surprised when I woke up. I thought he'd have killed me for sure. Not from the choking oddly enough, but from the rough sex in general. I gave into a long, luxurious stretch, and then realized Loki wasn't in bed with me. I sat up and saw him sitting across the room in a chair, barefoot but dressed in simple black pants and a dark green tunic. His expression was tense and regretful.

"Loki? What is it?"

He raised his head to look at me, his eyes haunted. After a moment, he spoke.

"I hurt you."

I shrugged.

"I let you."

He drew back, his eyes narrowing. He was realizing that I did, and his eyes were suddenly guarded.

"Why?" he asked.

"You needed it."

He shook his head.

"I will never hurt you like that again," he said solemnly.

"Oh Loki, of course you will," I said lightly.

He opened his mouth to reply, but I held up a hand, stopping him.

"It's alright. I'm not upset. I don't expect you to be a gentle little lamb. I'm not trying to change you, and needing to inflict pain on occasion is part of your nature. There's a dark side to all tricksters. And I want you, Loki. Not just your soft side but the darkness too."

He sat and digested all this for a minute or so, then rose and climbed slowly into bed. One hand slipped around to the back of my neck, and he kissed me deeply, slowly, sensually. I melted and kissed him back. He began to lean me backwards, and I made a tiny noise of pain, my body tensing as lightning went through it. I ached all over from the previous night's exertions. Loki froze, then pulled away.

"I'm sorry."

It was for more than what was on the surface.

"I know," I said, "It's okay."

He kissed me quickly, then climbed off the bed.

"I'll draw you a bath," he said, "Wait right there."

I smiled as he disappeared into the bath room and relaxed for a bit. He came back after a while and gently scooped me up, making me giggle as he held me close to his chest, carrying me into the bathroom. He set me down gingerly on my feet and tied my hair up in a messy bun, then helped me wash my body off before hand in the shower with the detachable shower head. Then it was into the tub.

The water was so warm and smelled of vanilla, my favorite. There was mineral salts almost dissolved at the bottom, as well as bath milk. I leaned my head back on the bath pillow Loki had also arranged and sighed. This was rather amazing. But it only got better when Loki presented me with pinot noir and a platter of figs, brie cheese, and saucisson.

"Oh, Loki," I gushed, "This is truly amazing. You are the best."

"It's the least I can do for you," he replied.

He was going to spoil me, but I didn't care. I actually rather liked this. So I leaned back and let him pamper me. After I had my nibblies, my muscles were relaxed thanks to the warm water and mineral salts, and Loki personally dried me off, kissing my shoulder tenderly as he did so. To my surprise, he picked me up again and carried me back into the bedroom, depositing me face down on the bed. Confused, I went to move around and look at him.

"Loki, what -"

"Shhh. Relax. Stay still," he said softly.

I blinked, but did as he said. A short amount of time later, Loki put warm hands on my naked shoulders. They were oiled, and I moaned as he began to massage. He massaged my shoulders and used his fingers on either side of the back of my neck in a downwards motion that made me purr like a kitten. From there he massaged my back, and at this point I closed my eyes, giving into his touch. This was more deadly sorcery than anything else I had experienced up to now. Long, sweeping strokes moved to my glutes, then to my legs.

"Turn over for me," Loki said quietly.

Lazily, I did as he requested and smiled softly, eyes still closed. He massaged my legs and arms again, my chest, and down to my naval. Finally, he touched my feet. I moaned loudly at this and bit my lip shyly. My eyes opened to barely slits, and I saw him smiling softly.

"You have such tiny feet," he whispered.

My eyes closed, content. I didn't want him to stop rubbing my feet, even though he was at it for quite some time. Before I knew it though, his fingers moved to massage a more private part of me, my clit. My eyes flew open in panic, and my hand flew to his to stop him.

"Shhh," he said, putting a long slender finger to his lips, "Quiet, little one. Let me enjoy your beautiful body."

I shifted nervously, biting my lower lip, then moved my hand away, allowing him to continue. My head fell back as he rubbed my clit, sending little bolts of energy though me. His fingers slipped so easily into me, and I moaned at the feel of it. He knew exactly how to position his fingers to hit just the right spots, how fast to go, how rough to be. Loki whispered dirty things to me, and I soon became a puddle of whimpering, moaning, squirming mortal.

And then he replaced his fingers with his tongue. Ahhh, yes. This was still the most amazing thing in all the nine realms. Apparently silver tongues were good for more than lies. As I neared my climax, he used his fingers on my pussy, hooking them exactly the right way as he used his tongue to lick and suck my clit. This was fuckery for my mind as well, and at last, I let go.

Once I came down from the shattering of my world, I realized I'd tangled my fingers in his hair and blushed as I released him. I began to sit up to return the favor, but he shook his head and gently pushed me down again.

"No," he said, "Rest now, little one."

I was fighting my rapidly closing eyes, and tried to stifle my yawn, to no avail.

"But I just rested," I whined, "All night, for hours. I don't wanna anymore."

"Do as I say," he said sternly, "Whether you know it or not, now is not the time to stress your body out more, not after I just spent all those hours and efforts to relax you and ease your pain. I know what you need more than you do. Trust me."

And I did. More importantly, I had no energy to argue. He knew what he was doing. A nice bath, some nibblies along with an entire bottle of wine, and a long massage followed by an orgasm, all worked together to knock me the fuck out. I was out within seconds.

When I woke up, Loki was not around. Afternoon sunlight filtered into the windows, the gossamer curtains blowing gently in the slight breeze. There was a bottle of lightly sweetened champagne, pears, and goat cheese on the stand nearby, as well as a long sleeved, floor length emerald green silk robe. I got up and put on the robe, then grabbed a bit of sliced pear and a glass of bubbly, then went onto the balcony to look out over Asgard.

I felt like a queen and reveled in everything for a few moments. I was in a gorgeous different realm, wearing beautiful silk, thoroughly fucked, bathed, relaxed, and fed. I couldn't be happier. And that, of course, is when the universe had to smash it all to bits.

"There she is," a rough, definitely un-Loki voice said from behind me, "Loki's whore."

I turned, shocked, and saw a huge bulky man dressed in leather and furs. My mind spun at his words. What did he know? What was he doing here?

"Excuse me?" I demanded coldly.

I couldn't show fear. I put myself in a different mindset, reminding myself I was the guest of the King of Asgard, a revered diplomat and liaison between our two worlds. How dare he speak to me in such a manner? How dare he invade the King's private chambers?

"Little Midgardian slut," he spat, coming closer to me, "How did you get Odin to agree to letting you stay here? He hates your kind as much as we do."

"And who is 'we'?" I sniffed, walking back inside towards him.

If I kept him talking, I could figure something out. I didn't have magic like Loki, I was completely outclassed physically, and Loki was no where close. I was on my own.

"Those of us still loyal to Asgard," he sneered, "That's all you need to know, arrogant bitch."

So much for keeping him talking. Out came a knife, descending on me rapidly. I blocked with my forearm, but only just. He had far more strength than me. I grabbed his wrist and pulled it to the side away from me, digging my thumbnail into the veins and tendons of his wrist. He hissed and dropped the knife, his other hand coming up to strike me. I pushed that away from me and smashed my champagne class into his face, then ran for the door, knowing my chances of fighting him were slim.

The stranger grabbed my wrist, and I spun fast and struck him with the heel of my other hand, up and under his nose, making him tear up and release me a second time. This allowed me enough time to put a table between us. Every time he moved one way, I went another, until he snarled with frustration and reached over the table for my neck. I brought both arms under and up, pushing his arms away from me, then my right hand shot out to grab the back of his neck. I then dropped my body weight to the ground, dragging his head with me and bashing his forehead into the table. I froze for a second, stunned with the speed at which I attacked, then turned and ran again.

This time he grabbed me by the back of the neck and tossed me across the room. I hit the ground hard, the air knocked out of me, and went to roll away, but he was quicker this time and dropped his body on top of me, trying to grab my wrists. I shouted and pounded at him with the sides of my fists, doing everything I could to buck him off.

"Bitch," he spat, "I was going to give you a quick death, but now..."

I was uncomfortably aware of his erection pressing against me, reminding me how naked I was under the thin robe, and the thought terrified me more than death. My brain was working over time to come up with a way out of this. Then I saw the knife I'd made him drop earlier. I could almost reach it... but that meant letting him grab my throat as I used one hand to reach for it.

My fingers scrabbled desperately for the hilt of the blade. He was pinning me in place, working one handed with his belt. I might have pulled a muscle straining for the knife, but it was worth it as I finally managed to grab it and plunge it deep into his neck.

My attacker's leering face froze, then he collapsed on top of me. With a shout of disgust I pushed him off of me and scrambled away from him, shaking with fear and panting for breath. It was at that moment that the doors burst open, banging against the wall imposingly as Loki strode in, looking furious.

"Sarah..."

"He's dead," I said, getting to my feet shakily.

Loki came to me, but I shook my head and went to the nightstand instead. I grabbed the bottle of champagne and drank deeply. I was so incredibly lucky to be alive right now. If I hadn't taken self defense classes thanks to my abusive parents, I probably wouldn't be. Still, it was clear I was no match for an Asgardian warrior. I'd most likely surprised him too by fighting back as I had.

"What happened?" Loki demanded.

I told him while I drank, my shaking slowly subsiding.

"Get dressed," he said, "There should be clothes in your room. Then we'll get this cleaned up. We can hardly say you were in a state of near undress in Odin's bedchambers when you were attacked. What would people say?"

Indeed. It seemed Asgardian court was every bit as dangerous as the Italian's Renaissance or the French pre-revolution. Splendid.


End file.
